Cold
by quinnovative
Summary: Caitlin gets in a car crash on Christmas Eve and Barry comes to take her home. (Snowbarry)


**A/N:** Hello! Just a few notes before we get to the story: this is set sometime pre-Westallen and the Killer Frost story arc, so Caitlin is still susceptible to the cold and we can pretend Snowbarry is on its way to being canon.

Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy this one-shot.

* * *

Caitlin pressed on the brakes as she drove through the rural street on Christmas Eve. Snow fell in sheets and coated the ground in thick layers. She had to make it to the airport in less than an hour if she had any chance of catching her flight to Seattle to just get away from everything for a few days, but the flight had already been delayed twice and at this rate, she'd arrive a little after 1 a.m. Christmas day at best.

Caitlin let out a sigh and hit her head against the back of her seat as another construction establishment forced her to take an alternate route onto a small paved street, void of others cars and lights. With her palm she slammed off the Christmas radio blaring from her speakers, switching the channel, just as her car jerked over a pothole, sending her spiraling forward before snapping back against her seat.

The vehicle jolted to the side before it lurched off the road, skidding across ice and into a tree. The crunching of metal screeched in Caitlin's ear, the windshield shattered sending slivers of glass falling like rain, as she was tossed forward, seatbelt cutting into skin and airbag crashing against her. Her breath lodged in her throat and she gasped for air as her lungs burned and pain went coursing from her core to her limbs, blazing each cell as it spread.

She pressed her head back against the seat as her surroundings stopped reeling, felt tears sting her eyes as she slammed the steering wheel with her fists, feeling heavy sobs work their way from her lungs to her throat, punctuating the silent night.

She shuffled through broken glass and debris for her phone, until she found it cracked and dead beneath the passenger seat. She retracted her hand, still quivering from adrenaline, her fingers were slit by the shards of glass, the blood mingled with a cut on her forehead as she pushed back her hair.

She pulled on her gloves and coat, taking an extra minute to pull a second sweater from her backseat and suiting up as best she could. With a final tug on her hat, Caitlin blew warm air onto her hands and already felt the cold seeping in from the outside. She consulted an old map shoved deep in her glove compartment, there's no other option but to follow the road in hopes of reaching the small town two miles away. It didn't seem unreasonably far, but as a scientist, she knew the dangers of hypothermia, knew how quickly things could shift from okay to lethal. Generally she would stay in the car, but she caught sight of smoke oozing through the bottom. She knew that her small frame and injuries made her vulnerable to the cold, but there was no other way, there was no other option.

A whimper slipped from Caitlin's lips as she dragged herself out of the car, shivering as her boot clad feet sunk into the snow and the wind whipped around her trembling frame. She pocketed her keys, a flashlight, the map, and her phone, pulled her coat tighter and forced her legs to carry her forward.

Her breath sent little clouds spiraling from her lips as she walked and her feet pushed small divots in the snow saturated street. The frigid air pricked tears in her eyes, she blinked them away as she pulled her legs from the road, up and forward, up and forward. She felt warmth in her core where her layers of sweaters and coats provided insulation as she walked, but the heat soon succumbed to the freezing winds assaulting her bare cheeks, spreading a chill throughout her whole body. The sweat quickly became frigid, the snow she trudged through turned her jeans damp.

She thought of Barry as she walked and the dinner he was probably having with his family. She thought of him calm and smiling and decided, not for the first time, that it was better she'd planned to leave for Christmas, without becoming an added distraction or burden. There were parts of her that were stuck in the past, pieces that clung to the dead she'd had to leave behind, and Barry didn't need that—didn't deserve it.

After minutes passed and she pushed through her halfway point, her thoughts began to drift, she struggled to think beyond the impressing cold. The bite of the wind made her flinch and wrap her arms around her core. Her fingers stung as shivers took over her frame. Her teeth chattered together and she momentarily squeezed her eyes closed as she pressed forward, trying to suppress the rising panic in her core.

When city lights sparked into her vision immense relief swelled in Caitlin's chest. She dragged her heavy, aching limbs closer and closer, inching forward. Each step sent jolts of pain through her quivering body until she finally reached the steps of a diner, the sole lit building in sight. She stumbled up and pulled on the door just as a man appeared to flip the closed sign.

"Please," she says, her words beginning to slur. "I need to borrow your phone."

The man looked her up and down, pegged her as a local drunk. "You've got five minutes and then we're closing up and I'm going home."

She mumbled her thanks and couldn't control her shaking as she bumped into a booth and took the phone in her hands. Curling her fingers around the device was an extended process and the first time she went to dial the phone, she missed each number and had to retry.

"Hello?" Barry's voice came through the line, and for a moment, Caitlin's brows furrowed in surprise.

"Hey, Barry, it's Caitlin," her words blurred together, she felt her eyelids tugging downward with exhaustion. "I—I don't mean to interrupt, I—I'm sure you're very busy right now with your family and all right now, but this thing happened and —

"Caitlin, are you okay? What happened?" he asked, running a hand through his hair as worry shifted in his stomach.

"I was… I was driving and…I'm so tired… I was driving, crashed, car caught fire—oooh I should call someone about that"

"I'll take care of that. Cait, I need you to focus. Is someone with you?"

"There's this guy here, he—he's telling me to get off the phone. I—oh God, he's yelling now. I have... have to go. I'll see you later…"

"I'm coming to get you," Barry said, "Where are you?"

"Uhhhhh," Caitlin dragged out her voice as she glanced around the establishment, looking for a name. "Frank's. 's call Frank's Diner." Then the line snapped off and the empty dial tone sounded in Barry's ear.

In the mere three minutes it took Barry to excuse himself from Christmas dessert and reach Caitlin, she'd been deposited outside the building, shaking on the ground against snow and concrete.

"Holy shit, Cait," he said upon seeing her. He knelt down and pulled her hands into his. "You're freezing."

" 'm 'kay. 's no big deal, just cold," she said between chattering teeth.

"Come on, we're taking you home," he gently gathered her in his arms and sped off into the night. Wind spread her hair and Caitlin couldn't help turning toward the warmth of his touch. As Barry ran, holding her tightly, he could feel each violent shiver against him.

He carried her through the door of his new apartment, slowing to deposit her on the couch, before using his super speed again to change her from her damp clothing into warm sweatpants and sweaters. He layered her in blankets and lit a fire in his chimney.

"How does that feel?" he asked, lingering before her.

"Good," Caitlin murmured quietly, letting her eyes fall closed as she snuggled into the couch.

"Here," Barry said, appearing a moment later and extending a mug of hot chocolate to Caitlin.

"Thanks," she said as she wrapped her fingers around the warm handle. She blinked at him, holding eye contact for the first time that night. "Barry, you don't have to do this, it's Christmas Eve, you should be with your family."

"No, no, Cait, you shouldn't be alone. I spent most of the night with them, and they have each other anyway, they won't miss me for a few hours."

"But—"

"Let me take care of you, you're always doing the same for me. Let me return the favor for once."

"I-"

"Shh, it's okay" he leaned forward, pressed a kiss against her cheek and his lips were warm against her skin.

Barry blushed and pulled back. "I—uh, you're bleeding, I'm going to get something to clean that cut."

"Wait, Barry," she said, extending her hand from beneath the pile of blankets and curling it around the hem of his jacket. She tugged him back down toward her, guided by some kind of snow intoxication or left over adrenaline or the fearlessness that comes with accidents. Her lips crashed against his, teeth knocking, hand tangled in hair until they both pulled away breathless.

A shared smile spread across their faces. Caitlin dropped her gaze and Barry gestured behind him. "I'm gonna go get that stuff."

Caitlin nodded as he disappeared down the hall, appearing a moment later. His face was close to hers as he cleaned the cut and pressed a small band aid above her brow. "There. All good?"

"All good," she verified. "Thanks, Barry."

He smiled. "Anytime. Merry Christmas, Cait."

"Merry Christmas," she replied as he sat beside her on the couch and flicked on the TV. She curled against him and fell asleep to the sound of his breathing and snow falling outside the window. Everything was going to be okay.


End file.
